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Table of Contents:

• How to Choose Your Washington Elopement Location
  • National Parks in Washington
  • Popular State Parks in Washington
• The 7 Best Places to Elope in Washington State
  • Olympic National Park
  • Mount Rainier National Park
  • North Cascades National Park
  • Mount Baker
  • The San Juan Islands
  • Snoqualmie Pass
  • Leavenworth
• Washington Elopement Planning Resources

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How to Choose Your Washington Elopement Location

Washington seriously has sooo many amazing locations to elope, you guy. So how the hell are you supposed to choose one?!

First of all, decide what type of location you’re going for. 

• What kinda landscape do you want to explore? 
• Is there a type of view you want to be in the background of your elopement ceremony? 
• What kind of environment will bring you the most peace + happiness on your big day?
• Where can you elope that has nice places to stay + opportunities for fun activities nearby?

Here are the main types of landscapes you can find in Washington State:

• Mountains
• Forests
• Rocky beaches (not California beaches)
• Deserts
• Lakes
• Waterfalls

Washington has also gifted us with so many stunning national & state parks that you definitely need to consider for your elopement location. I’ll talk more about our three national parks further down in this blog post, but here’s a quick overview of the most popular public parks in Washington:

National Parks in Washington:

• Olympic National Park
• Mount Rainier National Park
• North Cascades National Park

Because I love all of our national parks so damn much, I created a whole separate blog post highlighting them – check out my Washington National Parks Elopement Guide here!!

Popular State Parks in Washington:

• Deception Pass State Park
• Lake Wenatchee State Park
• Lime Kiln Point State Park
• Palouse Falls State Park
• Birch Bay State Park

Washington also has a TON of hella amazing Airbnb’s that give you the chance to stay right in the middle of the beautiful PNW landscape, whether that’s an adorable A-frame cabin in a luscious forest or glamping right next to a scenic mountain viewpoint. You can find an Airbnb to hold your ceremony & reception at, or simply find a really nice one to stay at after you explore a different location on your elopement day! 

Check out my blog post on the 5 Best Airbnb’s in Washington State for Airbnb Elopements to find the perf place for you.

Now that you’re familiar with the types of landscapes & locations that Washington has to offer, let’s get into 7 of my absolute FAVORITE locations of all time that need to be on your list!

The 7 Best Places to Elope in Washington State

1. Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park is pretty much a location straight out of a Washington fairytale. It offer some of the most amazing diversity in the entire Pacific Northwest, with moody beaches, lush rainforest canopies, crystal clear lakes, stunning mountain views, and even waterfalls deep into the vibrant green trees. There are soooo many opportunities for exploring within the park, whether you want to go hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, kayaking, you name it and ONP has it!! Plus with all the campsite options & cozy Airbnb’s nearby, you’ll be able to easily find a super nice place to stay and make your experience in the park magical.

Fun fact – Olympic National Park is home to La Push, where a lot of scenes from the Twilight series were filmed!

Location: Olympic Peninsula, northwest WA

Distance from Seattle: 2-4 hours depending on your destination within the park

Click here for a map with directions from Seattle to Olympic National Park.

Permit(s) Needed: Entrance Pass, Special Use Permit

Best Time of Year to Elope: Late spring – mid-fall (April-October)

Best Elopement Locations in Olympic National Park:

• Ruby Beach
• Rialto Beach
• Hoh Rain Forest
• Lake Crescent
• Marymere Falls
• Sol Duc Falls
• Hurricane Ridge

Olympic National Park Elopement Resources + Inspo

• Full Guide to the Best Places to Elope in Olympic National Park
• How to Elope on Ruby Beach

2. Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park is one of the most iconic places in Washington that most people are usually familiar with even if they’re not from here. The highlight of the park is obviously Mount Rainier, but there is so much more to enjoy besides the stunning views of the snow-capped peak: wildflower meadows, alpine tundra, lush forests of pine trees, lakes, and hiking trails GALORE. I love Mount Rainier NP because there are really opportunities for everyone, so you can hike 10 miles on your elopement day or bring all of your family members along on a quick 0.5 mile walk and enjoy amazing views either way!

Location: west central WA

Distance from Seattle: 2-2.5 hours

Click here for a map with directions from Seattle to Mount Rainier National Park.

Permit(s) Needed: Entrance Pass, Special Use Permit

Best Time of Year to Elope: Summer (July-August)

Best Elopement Locations in Mount Rainier National Park:

• Naches Peak Loop Trail
• Mount Fremont Lookout Trail via Sourdough Ridge Trail
• Skyline Trail Loop
• Nisqually Vista Loop
• Myrtle Falls Viewpoint
• Pinnacle Peak Saddle
• Tolmie Peak Lookout
• Tipsoo Lake

Mount Rainier National Park Elopement Resources + Inspo

• Your Ultimate Guide to Having a Mount Rainier Elopement

3. North Cascades National Park

North Cascades National Park is Washington’s 3rd & final National Park, and is honestly the most underrated in my opinion. When you think of NP’s in Washington you think of Rainier & Olympic, but the North Cascades are freakin GLORIOUS. Just driving through this mountain range will gift you with the most incredible mountain views, and there are so many amazing places to stop along the way, such as Diablo Lake & Washington Pass Overlook. The park features so much diversity and opportunities for outdoor exploration through the meadows, the mountains, the bright blue lakes, and so much more. Plus there are tons of cute little towns you can stop in on your drive through the Cascades, like Mazama and Winthrop, that have adorable local shops, restaurants, and bars!

Location: across northern WA

Distance from Seattle: 2-3 hours

Click here for a map with directions from Seattle to North Cascades National Park.

Permit(s) Needed: Northwest Forest Pass, Special Use Permit

Best Time of Year to Elope: Summer (June-September)

Best Elopement Locations in North Cascades National Park:

• Winchester Lookout
• Chain Lakes Loop
• Heather-Maple Pass Loop
• Washington Pass Overlook
• Thunder Knob
• Mt. Pilchuck Fire Lookout

Olympic National Park Elopement Resources + Inspo

• Mountaintop Elopement at the Mt. Pilchuck Fire Lookout
• Intimate Washington Mountain Elopement | Jared & Cameron
• Adventurous North Cascades National Park Elopement

4. Mount Baker

Mount Baker is the highlight of the Mount Baker Wilderness area up in western Washington, north of Bellingham and near the Canadian border. The wilderness area encompasses over 100,000 acres of beautiful land filled with green trees, alpine meadows, snow-capped mountain peaks, and sooo many places for hiking, biking, & skiing! I love Mount Baker because it has a lot of spots that are really easy to get to for couples who don’t want to hike a ton, or who need more accessible locations for them or their guests, and still want to get INCREDIBLE views.

Location: western WA

Distance from Seattle: 3 hours

Click here for a map with directions from Seattle to Artist Point at Mount Baker.

Permit(s) Needed: Special Use Permit only for groups over 75

Best Time of Year to Elope: Summer (July-September)

Best Elopement Locations at Mount Baker:

• Artist Point
• Heather Meadows
• Picture Lake

Mount Baker Elopement Resources + Inspo

• Romantic Mount Baker Elopement at Picture Lake

5. San Juan Islands

The San Juan Islands are a group of islands off the coast of northwest Washington that you get to by taking a ferry from Anacortes. There are three main islands: San Juan Island, Orcas Island, & Lopez Island, and they all have sooo much to offer in terms of outdoor adventures! You can go whale watching, hike through the forests to a spot with stunning views of the islands, visit local breweries & eateries, explore local farms, go kayaking, whatever floats your boat!

Location: off the coast of northwestern WA

Distance from Seattle: 1.5 hours to Anacortes

Click here for a map with directions from Seattle to Anacortes, where you take a ferry from.

Permit(s) Needed: depends on your exact destination

Best Time of Year to Elope: Late spring – early fall (April-October)

Best Elopement Locations in the San Juan Islands:

• Orcas Island
• Lime Kiln Point State Park
• Moran State Park / Mount Constitution
• Turtleback Mountain
• Friday Harbor

6. Snoqualmie Pass

Snoqualmie Pass is technically the pass you cross over when you’re driving between eastern & western Washington – ya know, the one you have to be careful of in the fall/winter because it get suuuper snowy. But there’s so much more in the region than that annoying pass you have to drive through: there are beautiful ponds & lakes, mountain areas to hike through, an iconic waterfall, & really amazing skiing. This area is definitely an underrated one when it comes to beautiful locations in WA!

Location: western WA

Distance from Seattle: 1 hour

Click here for a map with directions from Seattle to Snoqualmie Pass.

Permit(s) Needed: none

Best Time of Year to Elope: Summer (July-August)

Best Elopement Locations in Snoqualmie Pass:

• Gold Creek Pond
• Snoqualmie Falls
• Salish Lodge

Olympic National Park Elopement Resources + Inspo

• Snoqualmie Falls Elopement

7. Leavenworth

Finally, Leavenworth is a super weird & cute Bavarian town in central Washington, inspired by, well, Bavarian villages. It’s filled with unique little shops, eclectic restaurants, relaxing spas, and tonssss of amazing things to do for outdoor lovers. Whether you want to visit a beautiful clear blue lake nearby, go hiking, go white water rafting, walk around downtown at night and grab a beer, or simply lounge at a spa in a cozy lodge in town, there’s no shortage of fun things to do in Leavenworth for everybody!

Location: central WA

Distance from Seattle: 2.5 hours

Click here for a map with directions from Seattle to Leavenworth.

Permit(s) Needed: none

Best Time of Year to Elope: Summer (April-July)

Best Elopement Locations near Leavenworth:

• Lake Wenatchee State Park
• LOGE
• Na-Mu Lodge

Washington Elopement Planning Resources

Okay you knowwww I have even MORE helpful stuff to give you, so check out some of my fav resources below that’ll give you even more guidance when it comes to planning your Washington adventure elopement!

10 of the Best Trails in Washington State for a Hiking Elopement

“Is Eloping Selfish?” Hell No – Here’s Why Eloping Isn’t “Wrong!”

A Guide to Picking Your Perfect Elopement Outfits